[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 21, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-15026]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: June 21, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
RIN 1018-AB73
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Extension of the
Final Decision To List the Mobile River System Population of the
Alabama Sturgeon as an Endangered Species With Critical Habitat
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of 6 month extension of deadline and
reopening of the comment period.
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SUMMARY: On June 15, 1993 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service)
proposed to determine endangered status for the Alabama sturgeon
(Scaphirhynchus suttkusi) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (Act). The Act requires the Service to make a final
determination on such proposals within 12 months, but provides for a 6
month extension if there is substantial disagreement regarding the
sufficiency or accuracy of the available data relevant to that
determination. The Service finds that there is such a substantial
disagreement concerning whether the Alabama sturgeon continues to exist
and therefore extends the deadline with respect to the decision to list
the Alabama sturgeon.
DATES: The deadline for final action on the proposal is now December
15, 1994. The public comment period is reopened until September 15,
1994.
ADDRESSES: Comments and material should be sent to U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Asheville Field Office, 330 Ridgefield Court,
Asheville, North Carolina 28806.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Richard G. Biggins at the above
Asheville address (704/665-1195, Ext. 228) or Mr. Robert S. Butler,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 6620 Southpoint Drive South, Suite 310,
Jacksonville, Florida 32216 (904/232-2580).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
This sturgeon, which is endemic to the Mobile River system in
Alabama and Mississippi and was once widespread in this system, has had
a significant decline in both population size and range in the Mobile
River system. The fish may currently exist in only a short, free-
flowing reach of the Alabama River below Claiborne Lock and Dam in
Clarke and Monroe Counties, Alabama. Primary factors that have likely
contributed to the sturgeon's decline include dams, altered river
flows, gravel-mining operations, general habitat degradation from land
use practices, and, perhaps, overfishing, particularly at the turn of
the century.
The Alabama sturgeon, once called the Alabama shovelnose sturgeon,
or just shovelnose sturgeon, has been recognized since 1976 as a
distinct, undescribed taxon (Ramsey 1976) that is most similar to the
shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) of the Mississippi
River system and the Rio Grande. The Alabama sturgeon is a relatively
small sturgeon; the maximum standard length is about 72 centimeters (28
inches). It has an elongated, heavily armored, depressed body and an
attenuated caudal peduncle. The caudal fin has a long filament on the
upper lobe that is characteristic of the genus. Sexual dimorphism is
slight. Morphological characteristics of the juvenile Alabama sturgeon
are unknown. The Alabama sturgeon can generally be distinguished from
the shovelnose sturgeon of the Mississippi River system. The Alabama
sturgeon almost always has larger eyes, it has different plate numbers
posterior to the anal fin, there is a difference in dorsal fin ray
numbers, and there are three diagnostic characters associated with its
head armature (Mayden and Kuhajda 1994).
The Alabama sturgeon is known only from the Mobile River system of
Alabama and Mississippi. Historically, this sturgeon was found in the
Mobile, Tensas, Alabama, Tombigbee, Black Warrior, Cahaba, Tallapoosa,
and Coosa Rivers of the Mobile River system (Burke and Ramsey 1985).
The only recent confirmed record (since about 1985) of the Alabama
sturgeon is from the free-flowing portion of the Alabama River below
Claiborne Lock and Dam.
The Alabama sturgeon was once common in Alabama. In a statistical
report to Congress in 1898 (U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries
1898), the total catch of shovelnose sturgeon from Alabama was 19,500
kilograms (kg) (42,900 pounds (lb)). Of this total, 18,000 kg (39,500
lb) came from the Alabama River, 1,000 kg (2,300 lb) from the Black
Warrior River, and 500 kg (1,100 lb) from the Tennessee River. The
shovelnose sturgeon reported from the Alabama and Black Warrior Rivers
was the Alabama sturgeon; the sturgeon from the Tennessee River was
from the Mississippi River system shovelnose sturgeon population. Any
anonymous article in the Alabama Game and Fish News in 1930 stated that
the Alabama sturgeon was ``not uncommon.''
Records of this fish supported by preserved specimens are rare.
Clemmer (1983) listed 23 specimens in museum collections. In their
status survey, Burke and Ramsey (1985) captured only five Alabama
sturgeons. Williams and Clemmer (1991) located another nine specimens
in addition to those examined by Clemmer (1983), making a total of 32
specimens in museum, university, and private collections.
Interestingly, since 1953 there has generally been a 7- to 8-year
hiatus between representative collections of Alabama sturgeon in
museums (Mayden and Kuhajda 1994). Verified localities have primarily
been large channels of big rivers in the Mobile River system. However,
a couple of Alabama sturgeon records are from oxbow lakes (Williams and
Clemmer 1991).
When the proposed rule was published (June 15, 1993; 58 FR 33148-
54), the most recent documented evidence of the Alabama sturgeon's
continued existence consisted of the capture of five Alabama sturgeons
in 1985 (Burke and Ramsey 1985); two were gravid females and one was a
juvenile about 2 years old. Biologists from the Alabama Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), with the assistance and
cooperation of the Corps, have in recent years (1990 and 1992)
conducted periodic searches for the Alabama sturgeon, utilizing a
variety of sampling gear, without verifying the presence of a single
specimen (Tucker and Johnson 1991, 1992). Nevertheless, the gravid
females and juvenile Alabama sturgeons captured by Burke and Ramsey
(1985) provided sufficient evidence that reproduction was occurring
during at least the mid-1980s. Coupled with a high longevity (>20
years), the likelihood of sturgeon surviving to the present appeared
quite high at the time of the proposed rule.
Since the Burke and Ramsey (1985) status survey, there have been
several anecdotal reports by commercial fishermen that two distant
sturgeons have been taken from the Mobile River system in portions of
the Alabama River upstream of Claiborne Lock and Dam. These reports
presumably refer to the Alabama sturgeon and the Gulf sturgeon
(Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi). The Gulf sturgeon can achieve lengths
up to 2 meters (m) (6.6 feet), is generally more robust, and has
shorter and deeper caudal peduncles than does the Alabama sturgeon. In
addition, Gulf sturgeon are anadromous, migrating as adults up rivers
from the Gulf of Mexico to spawn. (The Gulf sturgeon was listed as
threatened on September 30, 1991 (56 FR 49658.)
The service and the ADCNR conducted an extensive sampling program
in 1993 in an effort to locate the Alabama sturgeon in the Mobile River
system. On December 2, 1993, a mature male Alabama sturgeon was caught
live in a gill net by staff of the Service's Panama City, Florida,
Field Office. The capture site was in the free-flowing portion of the
Alabama River downstream of Claiborne Lock and Dam, Clarke and Monroe
Counties, Alabama. This specimen represents the only verified record of
the Alabama sturgeon in nearly a decade.
From this chronology of Alabama sturgeon collections, this fish has
experienced a tremendous decline in both population size and range in
just 100 years.
The specific habitat needs of the Alabama sturgeon are largely
unknown. Members of the genus Scaphirhynchus are freshwater fish
(Bailey and Cross 1954) that do not make seasonal migrations to and
from the sea. Shovelnose sturgeons in the Mississippi River system are
most common in river channels having strong currents over sand, gravel,
and rock substrates (Trautman 1981, Hurley et al. 1987, Curtis 1990)
but may occasionally occur over softer sediments (Bailey and Cross
1954). Habitat selection also appears to be dictated by current
velocities (Hurley et al. 1987). The shovelnose sturgeon often uses
habitats associated with channel-training devices (Hurley and Nickum
1984, Hurley et al. 1987, Curtis 1990), which are water-diversion
structures (e.g., training dikes, wing walls, and closing dams) used
for directing currents to maintain channels. The association of the
shovelnose sturgeon with these habitats may be correlated with higher
prey item densities and suitable current velocities (Hurley et al.
1987); high silt loads directly impact many invertebrates that require
a relatively stable substrate. The Corps provided funds for the Service
to investigate the possibility that the Alabama sturgeon also uses
habitats associated with channel-training devices in the Alabama River.
However, no conclusions were derived from this study as no Alabama
sturgeons were captured (Corps, in litt., 1993).
Based upon the limited information available, the Alabama sturgeon
appears to prefer relatively stable substrates of gravel and sand in
deeper portions of river channels with swift currents (Burke and Ramsey
1985). Limited data collected from a radio-collared Alabama sturgeon
suggested that if frequented swift currents in water 7.5 to 12.0 m (25
to 40 feet) deep (Burke and Ramsey 1985).
Sturgeons are thought to swim upstream to spawn (Becker 1983).
Shovelnose sturgeons, based on telemetry studies conducted during the
spawning season, were found to migrate limited distances (Hurley et al.
1987). Spawning habitats for the Alabama sturgeon are generally
unknown. Spawning shovelnose sturgeon in the Mississippi River system
generally use hard substrates that may occur in main-channel areas or
deep-water habitats associated with channel-training devices in major
rivers or possibly in tributaries (Hurley and Nickum 1984).
Observations by Burke and Ramsey (1985) suggest that the Alabama
sturgeon prefers spawning habitat similar to the shovelnose sturgeon in
the Mississippi River system.
Currents are required for the development of sturgeons' adhesive
eggs, which require 5 to 8 days to hatch (Burke and Ramsey 1985).
Spawning of the shovelnose sturgeon in the Mississippi River system
apparently occurs from April to July (Moos 1978). The spawning period
for the sturgeon probably depends upon water temperature and flows
(Moos 1978), as it does for numerous other fish species. Henry and
Ruelle (1992) conducted a study of shovelnose sturgeon reproduction in
the Mississippi River system, concluding that they do not spawn every
year and that poor body condition may result in the production of fewer
eggs or infrequent spawning attempts. The reproductive biology of the
Alabama sturgeon is poorly known. However, given what is known
concerning the chronology of Alabama sturgeon collections and the
reproductive biology of other sturgeon species, populations of Alabama
sturgeon may be cyclical, with peak numbers possibly occurring every 7
to 8 years (Mayden and Kuhajda 1994).
Several studies have aged sturgeon of the genus Scaphirhynchus by
cross-sectioning pectoral fin spines. Helms (1973) aged shovelnose
sturgeon in the Mississippi River at up to 12 years. Durkee et al.
(1979) aged shovelnose sturgeon at up to 14 years in the upper
Mississippi River system. Ages ranged from 8 to 27 years for 288
shovelnose sturgeon sampled from the Missouri River (Zweiacker 1967).
However, Zweiacker (1967) could not validate the marks interpreted as
annuli (Moos 1978). Ruelle and Keenlyne (1993) aged three pallid
sturgeons at 10, 37, and 41 years. Considering the longevity of this
genus, the rarity of the Alabama sturgeon, and the several-year hiatus
that occurs between major year classes, frequent Alabama sturgeon
encounters should not be expected.
Burke and Ramsey (1985) conducted stomach analyses of a few Alabama
sturgeon. They found that aquatic insect larvae were a major dietary
component, but fish eggs, snails, mussels, and fish were also taken.
Shovelnose sturgeon, based on a study conducted in the Missouri River,
are opportunistic feeders (Modde and Schmulbach 1977). Various groups
of aquatic insect larvae generally comprise their diet (Modde and
Schmulbach 1977, Durkee et al. 1979).
The recent capture of a single specimen of the Alabama sturgeon
afforded scientists the opportunity to obtain fresh tissue samples and
compare its genetic distinctiveness with other sturgeons. The only
completed, but unpublished, study comparing the genetics of these two
sturgeons (Schill and Walker 1994) concluded that the Alabama sturgeon
and the shovelnose and pallid sturgeons of the Mississippi River system
were indistinguishable based on estimates of sequence divergence at the
mitochondrial cytochrome b locus. This result is similar to other
studies where no cytochrome b differentiation was found among other
fish species within a genus where the species were based on well
accepted morphological, behavioral, and other characteristics (Avise
1994). If the Alabama sturgeon's taxonomy is subsequently revised to
subspecies or population status and is generally accepted by the
scientific community, the Alabama sturgeon would still qualify for
protection under the Act provided that it is not extinct.
Section 3(15) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16
U.S.C. 1531-1544), specifically provides for listing species,
subspecies, and distinct population segments of vertebrate species as
endangered or threatened species. Although the Service finds that there
is some disagreement among ichthyologists concerning the Alabama
sturgeons' taxonomic status, the Service has determined that the
Alabama sturgeon warrants recognition as a species as defined by the
Act.
The Alabama sturgeon was included in Federal Register notices of
review for candidate animals in 1982, 1985, 1989, and 1991. In the 1982
notice (47 FR 58454) and in the 1985 notice (50 FR 37958), this fish
was listed as a category 2 (sufficient information indicates proposing
to list may be appropriate, but conclusive data are not currently
available to support a proposed rule). In the 1989 and 1991 notices (54
FR 554 and 56 FR 58816), the Alabama sturgeon was listed as category 1
(substantial information supports listing).
In the June 15, 1993, proposed rule (58 FR 33148) and through
associated notifications, interested parties were requested to submit
factual reports and information that might contribute to the
development of a final rule to list the Alabama sturgeon as endangered
with critical habitat. The comment period was open until October 13,
1993. Appropriate Federal and State agencies, county governments,
scientific organizations, and interested parties were contacted by
letter dated June 21, 1993; a copy of the proposed rule was enclosed,
and their comments on the rule were solicited. A total of 34 letters
were sent. Legal notices were published in the Birmingham News,
Birmingham, Alabama, on July 25, 1993; the Mobile Press-Register,
Mobile, Alabama, on July 25, 1993; the Montgomery Advertiser,
Montgomery, Alabama, on July 24, 1993; and the Clarion Ledger, Hinds
County, Mississippi, on July 23, 1993. The proposed rule also stated
that a public hearing would be conducted to answer questions and gather
additional information on the biology of the Alabama sturgeon and
discuss issues relating to the proposed listing and critical habitat
designation.
The public hearing on the Service's proposal to list the Alabama
sturgeon as an endangered species with critical habitat was scheduled
for August 31, 1993, in Mobile, Alabama. The comment period remained
open until October 13, 1993. A notice of the hearing was published in
the Federal Register on July 27, 1993 (58 FR 40109), and a legal notice
was published in the Birmingham News on August 1, 1993. This public
hearing was subsequently canceled at the request of some members of the
Alabama Congressional delegation. A cancellation notice was published
in the Federal Register on August 24, 1993 (58 FR 44643), and legal
notices were published in the Birmingham News on August 29, 1993; the
Montgomery Advertiser on August 29, 1993; and the Clarion Ledger on
August 27, 1993.
The public hearing on this proposal was rescheduled for October 4,
1993, at the William K. Weaver Hall Auditorium on the campus of Mobile
College, Mobile, Alabama. The comment period remained open until
October 13, 1993. A notice of the hearing and extension of the comment
period was published in the Federal Register on September 13, 1993 (58
FR 47851).
Due to the tremendous interest in this issue, a large number of
people who came to the October 4, 1993, hearing had to be turned away
due to space constraints. Although neither the Act nor the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.) required that a
second hearing be held, the Service decided that it was in the best
interest of all concerned parties that they have an opportunity to
comment on issues raised by the Alabama sturgeon proposed rule.
Therefore, an additional public hearing was scheduled in Montgomery,
Alabama, on November 15, 1993, to allow for additional comments from
the interested public. A notice of the second hearing, reopening of the
comment period (from October 25, 1993, to December 8, 1993), and notice
of availability of a scientific panel report was published in the
Federal Register on October 25, 1993 (58 FR 55036). Legal notices for
this second hearing appeared in the Birmingham News on October 26,
1993; the Mobile Press-Register on October 24, 1993; the Montgomery
Advertiser on October 29, 1993; and the Clarion Ledger on October 29,
1993. The scientific panel report was prepared by ichthyologists to
specifically review three issues: (1) Examine the taxonomy of the
sturgeon, (2) comment on the likely existence of the fish based on
available data, and (3) make suggestions as to what information would
be necessary to conclude that the taxon is likely extinct.
The November 15, 1993, hearing was canceled in response to a
preliminary injunction issued on November 9, 1993. The timing of the
injunction gave the Service insufficient time to publish public hearing
notices of cancellation in either the Federal Register or area
newspapers. A second public hearing notice appeared in the Federal
Register (59 FR 289) dated January 4, 1994. The hearing was scheduled
for January 13, 1994, and the comment period was extended through
January 31, 1994. Legal notices for this rescheduled hearing were
published in the Birmingham News on December 26, 1993; the Mobile
Press-Register on December 26, 1993; the Montgomery Advertiser on
December 27, 1993; and the Clarion Ledger on December 28, 1993. As
outlined in the January 4, 1994, Federal Register notice, the
preliminary injunction restrained the Service and others from: (1)
Disseminating the scientific panel report to the public and (2)
utilizing or relying upon the scientific panel report or any product of
the experts' deliberations in connection with the decision-making
process on the proposal to list the Alabama sturgeon and designate its
critical habitat. The January 4, 1994, notice also referred to another
court order issued December 22, providing, in most relevant part, as
follows:
Federal defendants and defendant-intervener, and those acting in
active concert with them, are hereby permanently enjoined from
publishing, employing and relying upon the advisory Committee report .
. . for any purpose whatsoever, directly or indirectly, in the process
of determining whether to list the Alabama sturgeon as an endangered
species.
In a notice appearing in the Federal Register (59 FR 997) on
January 7, 1994, the January 13, 1994, public hearing was canceled and
rescheduled for January 31, 1994, at South Hall #1. Montgomery Civic
Center, Montgomery, Alabama. The comment period was extended to
February 15, 1994. Cancellation of the second public hearing was made
to provide more notice of the hearing to the public. Legal notices for
the rescheduled public hearing appeared on January 19, 1994, in four
area newspapers: the Birmingham News, Mobile Press-Register, Montgomery
Advertiser, and Clarion Ledger. Mention was also made in this notice
that, in keeping with the court restrictions issued in Alabama-
Tombigbee River Development Coalition (Coalition) v. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Civ. No. 93-AR-2322-S, the Service considered itself compelled
to enforce the following constraints on the submission of oral and
written comments while the court restrictions remained in effect: (1)
Individuals or organizations could not refer to the scientific report
or to any drafts or other products derived from the preparation of that
report in presenting any oral statement or written comment and (2)
individuals or organizations could not attempt to bolster their oral or
written comments or opinions by referring to the scientific report as
authority. Therefore, the Departmental hearing officer at the next
hearing was authorized to terminate the opportunity to speak of any
person making a statement if, in the judgment of the hearing officer,
that person disregarded the instructions not to address the scientific
report or its contents. Written comments or materials which contained
information that violated the above restrictions would be marked and
thereafter excluded from the administrative record while the court
restrictions remained in effect.
The Service received several thousand written and oral comments
associated with the two hearings and the extended comment period
regarding the proposed listing of the Alabama sturgeon with critical
habitat. Several hundred individuals and organizations supported the
listing; however, the vast majority of the respondents did not support
the listing. The Service agrees that little information exists on the
species' life history, environmental requirements, or its historic and
current population levels.
Section 4(b)(6)(a)(i) of the Act requires the Service to take one
of three alternative actions within one year of a listing proposal: (1)
Publish a final regulation listing the species, (2) publish a notice
that the listing proposal is being withdrawn, or (3) publish a notice
that the one year time period is being extended under section
4(b)(6)(a)(i). That section as implemented by 50 CFR 424.17 (a)(1)(iv),
provides that the Service may extend the one year period for up to 6
months upon finding that ``there is a substantial disagreement among
scientists knowledgeable about the species concerned'' on whether to
list the species. The Service must base its decisions under these
provisions on the best scientific and commercial data available. The
Service believes there is substantial disagreement regarding the
sufficiency of the scientific data relevant to whether the population
of Alabama sturgeon in the Mobile River system continues to exist.
Since 1985 there have been two anecdotal reports and the capture of
one specimen. Biologists from the Alabama Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources in 1990 and 1992 as well as biologists from the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have intensively sampled for this fish.
Sturgeons are long lived animals and additional sampling may result in
additional collections. However, the fact that only a single specimen
has been taken during the sampling effort, has led some experts to
question the extent of any remaining population of the Alabama
sturgeon.
Despite the fact that little information exists on the species life
history, environmental requirements, or its historic and current
population levels, the Act provides in Section 4(b)(1)(A) that a
determination to list a species shall be based on the best scientific
and commercial information on the species status. The Act does not
require the Service to posses detailed or extensive information on
these factors to make a listing determination. The Act's information
standard does require that the best available information must support
a conclusion that the species meet the Act's definition for threatened
or endangered species status after consideration of the five factors
discussed in Section 4(a)(1).
These disagreements on the sufficiency of the scientific data has
been found to be substantial. The Service therefore extends until
December 15, 1994 the period within which to determine whether the
Alabama sturgeon is an endangered species. The Service solicits
additional data on the population status of the Alabama sturgeon until
September 15, 1994.
References Cited
Anonymous, 1930. The sturgeon. Alabama Game and Fish News
1930(1):13.
Avise, J.C. 1994. Molecular markers, natural history & evolution.
Chapman & Hall, New York.
Bailey, R.M., and F.B. Cross. 1954. River sturgeons of the American
genus Scaphirhynchus: characters, distribution, and synonymy. Papers
of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters. 39:109-208.
Becker, G.C. 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin
Press, Madison, WI. 1,053 pp.
Blanchard, P.D. No date [ca. 1994]. Comments on the taxonomic status
of the Alabama sturgeon. Unpublished report. 33 pp.
Blanchard, P.D., and A.A. Bartolucci. 1994. Comments on the
statistical analyses employed to describe the Alabama sturgeon as a
distinct species. Unpublished report. 31 pp.
Burke, J.S., and J.S. Ramsey. 1985. Status survey on the Alabama
shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus sp. cf. platorynchus) in the
Mobile Bay drainage. Report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Jackson, MS. 61 pp.
Clemmer, G.H. 1983. A status report on the Alabama sturgeon,
Scaphirhynchus. A report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Washington, DC. 9 pp.
Curtis, G.L. 1990. Habitat use by shovelnose sturgeon in Pool 13,
upper Mississippi River, Iowa. Master's thesis, Iowa State Univ.,
Ames, IA. 51 pp.
Durkee, P.B. Paulson, and R. Bellig. 1979. Shovelnose sturgeon
(Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) in the Minnesota River. Journal of the
Minnesota Academy of Science 45:18-20.
Helms, D. 1973. Progress report on the second year study of
shovelnose sturgeon in the Mississippi River. Project 2-156-R-2,
Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, IA.
Henry, C.J., and R. Ruelle. 1992. A study of pallid sturgeon and
shovelnose sturgeon reproduction. Report by U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Pierre, SD. 19 pp.
Howell, W.M. 1994. Written comments on behalf of the Alabama-
Tombigbee Rivers Coalition on proposed endangered status and
designation of critical habitat for the Alabama sturgeon: proposed
rule. Unpublished report. 33 pp. + appendices.
Hurley, S.T., and J.G. Nickum. 1984. Spawning and early life history
of shovelnose sturgeon. Project report, Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA.
40 pp.
Hurley, S.T., W.A. Hubert, and J.G. Nickum. 1987. Habitats and
movements of shovelnose sturgeons in the upper Mississippi River.
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 116:655-662.
Khoroshko. P.N. 1972. The amount of water in the Volga Basin and its
effect on the reproduction of sturgeons (Acipenseridae) under
conditions of normal and regulated discharge. Journal of Ichthyology
12:608-616.
Mayden, R.L., and B.R. Kuhajda. 1994. Reevaluation of the taxonomic,
systematic, and conservation status of the Alabama sturgeon,
Scaphirhynchus suttkusi Williams and Clemmer (Actinopterygii,
Acipenseridae). Unpublished report. 45 pp.
Modde, T., and J.D. Schmulbach. 1977. Food and feeding behavior of
the shovelnose sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus platorynchus, in the
unchannelized Missouri River, South Dakota. Transactions of the
American Fisheries Society 106:602-608.
Moos, R.E. 1978. Movement and reproduction of shovelnose sturgeon,
Scaphirhynchus platorynchus (Rafinesque), in the Missouri River,
South Dakota. Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. of South Dakota, Pierre, SD.
213 pp.
Ramsey, J.S. 1976. Freshwater fishes. Page 55. In: Boschung, H.T.
(ed.), Endangered and threatened plants and animals of Alabama.
Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural History No. 2. Univ. of
Alabama, University, AL.
Ruelle, R., and K.D. Keenlyne. 1993. Contaminants in Missouri River
pallid sturgeon. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report, Pierre, SD.
11 pp.
Schill, W.B., and R.L. Walker. 1994. Phylogenetic relationships of
sturgeon inferred from cytochrome b sequences. National Biological
Survey unpublished report. Kearneysville, WV. 19 pp.
Trautman, M.D. 1981. The fishes of Ohio. 2nd edition. Ohio State
University Press, Columbus, OH. 782 pp.
Tucker, W.H., and L.A. Johnson. 1991. Survey of the Alabama
shovelnose sturgeon in the lower Mobile Bay drainage. Final Report,
Alabama Department of Conservation and National Resources.
Montgomery, AL. 5 pp.
Tucker, W.H., and L.A. Johnson. 1992. Survey of the Alabama
shovelnose sturgeon in the lower Mobile Bay drainage. Final Report,
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,
Montgomery, AL. 5 pp.
U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries. 1898. Statistics of the
fisheries of the interior waters of the United States. A report to
the 55th Congress, House of Representatives. Pp. 489-497, 531-533.
Veshchev, P.V. 1982. Reproduction of sterlet, Acipenser ruthenus
(Acipenseridae), in the lower Volga. Journal of Ichthyology 22:40-
47.
Veshchev, P.V., and A.S. Novikova. 1983. Reproduction of the
stellate sturgeon Acipenser stellatus (Acipenseridae), under
regulated flow conditions in the Volga River. Journal of Ichthyology
23:42-51.
Williams, J.D., and G.H. Clemmer. 1991. Scaphirhynchus suttkusi, a
new sturgeon (Pisces: Acipenseridae) from the Mobile Basin of
Alabama and Mississippi. Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural
History 10:17-31.
Zakharyan, G.B. 1972. The natural reproduction of sturgeons in the
Kura River following its regulation. Journal of Ichthyology 12:249-
258.
Zweiacker, P. 1967. Aspects of the life history of the shovelnose
sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus platorynchus (Rafinesque), in the Missouri
River. Master's thesis, Univ. of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD.
(Proposal: Alabama sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi)--endangered
with critical habitat)
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, and Transportation.
Dated: June 15, 1994.
George T. Frampton, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary, Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 94-15026 Filed 6-20-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M
